Diploma in Pharmacy Technician

at Red Deer Polytechnic Canada

The focus is on concept-based and intentional clinical learning.  Intentional clinical learning is a purposeful approach to providing students with the foundational knowledge and skills to provide safe quality patient care in today's complex health settings. 

The program begins with admission to RDC in Year 1 as a student in the University of Alberta Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing Program with RDC. For the first three years, you are registered as an RDC student. During Year 3 you apply for official admission to the University of Alberta for your fourth year. As long as you meet the criteria (see below), you continue at RDC to complete your 4th year.

After completing year 4, you will convocate from the U of A with a BScN. As a graduate, you will be eligible to write the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). This is required for a license to practice in Alberta as a registered nurse (RN).

The objective in all programs is to provide you with the basis of a liberal arts education which will allow you to transfer to universities offering a Bachelor of Arts degree program.

In most cases, you will major in one of the subjects listed below. By declaring a major, you are simply stating your intent to pursue a comprehensive study of that subject area. Some university programs require you to declare a minor, which represents a second subject you will study in some depth as well.

Majors
You are required to complete a major in the Bachelor of Arts degree. A major includes a certain number of courses taken in one field of study. Generally, about half of the courses taken in a four year degree will be chosen from the major field. This number will vary according to your choice of major and the university you attend.

Majors available at RDC are Anthropology, Communications, Economics, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.  

Honours
Honours programs are designed to prepare students particularly well for advanced study at the Master's or Doctoral level in the major field of interest. High standards of performance are required in Honours programs. Most universities offer Honours programs in the same fields as the Majors listed above. You should consult with an Academic Advisor for details.

University Transfer Program
RDC offers the first two years of the Bachelor of Arts program. Students have the ability to transfer to a multitude of institutions after one or two years of study at Red Deer College. For institutions within Alberta, transfer agreements exist and students can see how RDC courses transfer to specific universities using the Transfer Alberta website.

For students looking at transferring outside of Alberta, there are many possibilities. While no formal transfer agreements exist outside of Alberta, the Bachelor of Arts program is quite versatile and easily transferable.

Covering many elements, including: coding, databases, system administration, security, data communications and web development, gain the training you need to become a leader in this thriving industry!

Prepare for employment in entry-level developer or tester roles in a range of organizational contexts, or use this opportunity as a foundation for further study. Designed for students seeking to focus on one or more application domains, such as Web, VR/AR and Mobile Applications Development, graduates are perfectly positioned to begin their career as a Computer Programmer, Web Developer, Software Tester, Mobile Application Developer and many more!

The RDC program is a pre-professional year that prepares the student for admission to the degree program. Normally, three additional years of study are required.

Transfer Features
The courses in this program can be transferred in full to BSc Agricultural/Food Business Management at the University of Alberta. Refer to the University of Alberta calendar for the complete listing of courses under the Faculty of Agricultural, Life, and Environmental Sciences.

The one-year business certificate is designed for individuals looking to acquire introductory business skills to increase their employability or augment existing work experience. It also allows for budding entrepreneurs to gain a credential quickly while learning the key functional areas of business.

Students participate in our signature course, Business Topics and Skills. This course connects students to themselves, to learning, to the diverse Central Alberta community, and to career opportunities. Students are provided with networking opportunities in various courses.

Program Learning Outcome

• Collaboration: Practice collaborating in and with diverse teams.
• Communication: Communicate effectively utilizing oral, written, nonverbal, and media communication skills.
• Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving: Practice using critical and reflective skills and practices to analyze organizational challenges.
• Globalization: Recognize the impact of globalization across cultures and markets.
• Social and Cross Cultural Awareness: Recognize the value of diverse ideas, perspectives, and worldviews in a business environment.
• Information, Communication, Technology, and Financial Fluency: Apply information literacy, technology, research skills, and numerical and financial fluency to solve problems.
• Ethics: Employ ethical decision making and demonstrate professionalism.
• Business Acumen - Tools: Apply qualitative and quantitative methods to business scenarios.
• Business Acumen - Holistic: Explain holistic and entrepreneurial approaches for working in, and managing, socially responsible organizations.
• Lifelong Learning: Recognize the value of lifelong-learning and community engagement.
• Indigenous: Contribute to the advancement of reconciliation and apply principles of Indigenous knowledge including identifying and describing Indigenous cultural protocols, worldviews, and learning approaches in both a business and societal context.

The demand for Information Technology professionals is rapidly increasing in all industries. Diversify your career options and transform your skillset to obtain your dream career!

Gain the expertise necessary for entry-level employment in Computer Networking with this brand new Career Development Diploma. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are well-prepared to enter into a career as an IT Technician, Network Administrator, Network Engineer, Network Support and many more! Kick-start your career in Information Technology and become a member of one of the most in-demand industries!

The program at RDC is one year of study toward Bachelor of Science Nutrition and Food Sciences.

Students studying Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Alberta can pursue 5 different majors upon transfer. Students starting at RDC will be best set up to transition into either the Nutrition and Food Science General program or the Dietetics Specialization program. If you are pursuing another major in Nutrition, you may experience some added time to finish your degree from the University of Alberta when you transfer. See the Bachelor of Science – Nutrition and Food Sciences Academic Planning Guide for more information

This program is accredited by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP). It prepares the graduate to become a Registered Pharmacy Technician (RPhT) following graduation and successful completion of the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) certification process and the Alberta College of Pharmacists (ACP) registration process. Details regarding registering as a Pharmacy Technician in the province of Alberta can be found by accessing the Alberta College of Pharmacists website (www.pharmacists.ab.ca).

RDC has been educating Pharmacy Technicians since 1976 and graduates are highly sought after by employers. This diploma program is delivered over five academic terms.

Program outcomes are designed to enable successful transition to the role of the Pharmacy Technician, assisting students to:

• Communicate effectively and respectfully to build positive relationships through verbal, nonverbal, written and technological means with patients, co-workers and other health care providers.
• Practice in a legal, ethical and professional manner demonstrating conduct that meets expectations of members of society and the profession.
• Accurately manage and perform technical and distributive tasks expected of a pharmacy technician.
• Build collaborative relationships within the pharmacy and health care teams to optimize patient safety and meet patient health care needs and improve health outcomes.
• Perform job related tasks in a safe and effective manner that ensures quality and patient safety while using professional judgment as to which tasks can be performed independently or in collaboration with a pharmacist.
• Maintain, enhance and share knowledge, skills and attitude through self-reflective practice, use of available learning resources, networking and self-directed learning to continue to be a lifelong learner.

Psychology is the study of mental processes and behavior. RDC special interests include: memory and attention, social psychology, physiological psychology, and anomalous experiences.

Program Content
The below schedule is a general pattern that transfers to the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and the University of Lethbridge. Check the Alberta Transfer Guide for transfer credit information.